ALDI's Bottom Dollar Acquisition

In 2014, ALDI acquired the Bottom Dollar Food operation which included 64 stores across Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Based on qualifications established by ALDI, it was determined that 32 of these stores would be converted to ALDI grocery stores.

There were several factors motivating ALDI to reopen these 32 stores quickly. First, many of these grocery store locations were much needed additions to the local communities. When Bottom Dollar closed its doors, this left the communities without convenient grocery stores for many residents. In addition, the local jurisdictions did not want to see these spaces sit vacant for an extended period time. Lastly, many of the stores were under lease agreements. For ALDI, this translated to paying rent on stores that were not generating revenue.

Due to the expedited schedule necessary to complete these store conversions, ALDI approached ms, a reliable partner, to take on 24 of the 32 remodel projects.

In November 2014, it was determined that the first of the ALDI conversions should be open by July 2015, with the goal of all stores being open by the end of 2015.

The initial step after the Bottom Dollar acquisition was to evaluate all locations for conformance to ALDI’s space requirements. Each +/- 18,000 square foot store was visited, surveyed, and photographed by ms to confirm existing conditions.

Once ALDI-specific conditions were confirmed, building footprints were evaluated to determine where efficiencies could be achieved across projects.

After concept floor plans and elevations were developed to align with ALDI prototypical standards, the construction document development was expedited to allow the permitting process to begin.

Using the in-house ms permitting team, alongside permit expeditors in challenging municipalities, the building permit process was streamlined to obtain permits as quickly as possible.

By using a dedicated team, experienced in ALDI stores, the 32 Bottom Dollar remodels were opened as new ALDI stores by the end of 2015.

Photo credit: “Bottom Dollar Food Hickory, NC” by Mike Kalasnik under CC BY-SA 2.0, color and sizing edits.